Lens Assembly Spacers. Eureka! Revisited...

Here are the instructions for making the Lens Assembly Spacers:

BOM:

300mm X 75mm ( 1 ft X  2.95" or 3" pipe )  PVC Drain or Sewage Pipe.

Your projector might need a different size, but the procedure might be the same.

Mark and cut a 22mm and 15mm spacers .

Sand over 80 and 150 grit sandpaper laid on a flat surface, and check for uniform width.

Slide over the body of the Lens and cut little notches (see above picture with the glass) where the little bolt heads are in the way of the spacer:

Replace the Lens Assembly and try to focus and adjust the zoom.

I will be securing the Lens Assembly with 25mm X 2.5mm (for the 15mm Spacer ring)  or 30mm X 2.5mm (for the 22mm Spacer ring) bolt.

For now it is still in the unsecured state, since I am experimenting with different settings.

Be Safe around cutting tools and knifes!

Revisited VAT Holder and Tilt

So, Here is the finished revisited VAT Holder and tilt:

This is my 150mm X 150mm regular Soda-Lime green glass test piece ( until my borosilicate 5.5mm glass arrives ).

Slide the Aluminum extrusion profile from the BOM of the VAT Frame Cont. post and First Stab at VAT... over the edge and:

Secure the Glass with the help of the Hex grub screws of the Glass Shelf Holders.

Leave some spacing for a bracket that will be hooked up to the VAT tilt linear slide and motor.

Take some measurements and draw a horizontal line on the L-shape profile from the BOM:

Keep the aluminum and glass holders tight and leveled parallel to the L-shape profile.

I am using 4mm bolts (they will be cut to length later), so drill with 4.2mm bit. This leaves some room for adjustments ( about 0.3mm ) in all directions.

Once both sides are done line them up and tighten slightly. Use some soft foam (or thin rubber strips, or folded paper etc.) to pad the glass in the aluminum profile. Be careful not to break the glass. Place it on a flat surface (see Build Base ) and level.

I will choose one of these three springs based on trial and error:

First is stiff, second is soft and springy, third is a little short and stiff. The washers are M4 - 18mm X 1mm.

Done! Have a productive day!

P.S. Wear eye protection when working. Be safe!

...Ever have an Eurika! moment?

As the previous post shows my waste of time on  something trivial, this one is exhilarating! Eurika! I yell...

Cut a piece of 70mm sewer pipe that is 22mm high. Slid it over the lens assembly and fired up the projector...

In case you are wondering where I have gotten the Lee Filters from http://www.leefilters.com/lighting/contact/ and request a sample pack. The filters are fantastic for other uses!

WARNING! You should not look into the projected image - temporary or permanent blindness may occur.

Always consult and follow  your manufacturers user manual. If  you decide to disregard the manufacturers safety instructions...well, you are on your own. You have been warned. I take no responsibility nor am I liable for the stupidity of others!

I managed to get the image down to 30mm X 40mm WOOWWWW!

If you are not convinced look at the caliper...

You can see the Lee Filter information "(HT) * 027 MEDIUM RED" as to the wavelength the filter applies to.

If you are wondering how was I able to focus the image on such a small area, I had this little gem in my "Ebay" box. I remember buying one as a gift for someone, but cannot remember who. I was able to use it to photograph my fingerprints-see below:

I looked though the microscope and filter, and adjusted the focus until the little letters under the "DELL" logo are clear or focused, as far as my vision can tell.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU LOOK THROUGH THE MICROSCOPE AT THE IMAGE THE PROJECTOR CREATES WITHOUT PROTECTING YOUR EYES FIRST! This blog is for informational purposes only.

Hope you have a great build day too!

E U R E K A !

Ever have a D'oh! D'oh! D'oh! moment?

D'oh! Moments happen. I had one last night. I had prepped everything for the VAT tilt ( see Sept. posts ) and decided, that I should have the projector image size problem taken care of before I attempt to mount the assembly on the frame. I meticulously started to disassemble the projector and got to the bottom plastic, removed the light tunnel and D'oh! I found the way of taking off the lens assembly and adjusting for focus was not the one I thought it was. It Was A Lot Simpler ( 5 screws and 3 bolts). See below:

A little twist on the lens protector and it comes off.

Uuuuu Aaaaaa! Never mind the feet-once you take the cover off and protector there are only 2 screws ( and 2 clips ) holding the front panel.

And there it is! only 3 screws hold the lens to the light tunnel. I had it completely torn down just to discover this.

The projector ( a Dell 5100MP ) is extremely easy to adjust for focal distance. All I need now is a 22mm high x 70.5mm ring to use as a spacer and I have a perfect 60mmX80mm picture with no aberration and no distortion.

I also removed the focus ring limiting screw ( not the focal distance limiting ). To do that, you have to line up the slot with the window in the focal distance ring and then line up the focus limiting screw. Now I can move the Lens assembly in and out of the light tunnel to adjust the size of the image, move the focal distance ring and focus the image more freely.  See below:

Hope all is going to plan on your build and I wish you to have less D'oh! moments.

A Few More Goodies...

BOM:

1 - 30mm bubble level.

4 - 32mm base rubber feet with a washer inside.

Found a very handy bubble level block and a little bubble level for the machine:

The big one above is of a laser-cut acrylic and the small one is about 30mm in diameter.

 Also found some rubber feet for the machine:

VAT Frame cont.

This, I hope to be a fairly good VAT frame idea, otherwise it is back to the bathroom... LOL

BOM:

7.5mm x 1mm  - "U"-shape aluminum extrusion -  1 meter long

15.3mm x 27mm x 1.5mm - "L"-shape aluminum extrusion - 1 meter long

15.3mm x 27mm x 1.5mm - "U"-shape aluminum extrusion - 1 meter long

21.5mm x 25.4mm glass shelf holder - look for one with inside measurements (8.2mm) for 8mm glass - 4 pcs

Assorted springs for your flying-spring-eye-poking pleasure in multiples of 4.

The 7.5mm x 1mm U-shape extrusion has an inside measurement of around 6mm - perfect for my Borosilicate glass VAT floor of 5.5mm. The glass holders have hex grub screws that will hold the 7.5 profile with the glass.

This is how it will look when assembled:

 Just to remind you what the render looks like - In white this time. Wooow! Uuuu! Aaahhh!:

Cheers!

First Stab at VAT Holder and Tilt

This was a productive weekend. I was struck by a fantastic idea while in the bathroom. Yes! In the bathroom I get the best ones. LOL

Took a screwdriver and headed in. My 1/2 was scared what was going to happen. HACKING! -of course, what else!

Later after a test fit I repaired the damage done and all is well with the fixtures.

See below render and picture:

Next comes the BOM and more pics.

Projector Images in the dark!

Following my "teaser" post, I have to show you what I got:

A little distortion is already evident.

This is with a polarized filter. It is clearly visible.

The bottom is perfectly straight, but the top of the image has a little "bow" to it.

These are the focus test on a piece of A4 paper. both are focused, but the projector is too bright for the camera and the edges are bleeding. There is also a little aberration visible on top, otherwise a descent result.

Measurements of the image will follow with the different Macro Lenses.

Hope your build is going better than mine!